Books are an amazing glimpse into another world, whether it be the fictional world of an authors imagination or the very real world of someone else’s experience.
Do you know someone stuck in the city who dreams of an outback life? Or someone in a small town that drives through farmland regularly and wonders what life on the land would be like?
An Outback Life would be the perfect addition to coffee tables and bookshelves across the country. It’s an insightful and honest look at all aspects of life in the bush, much of the book revolves around station life in Queensland because that’s where author Paula Heelan is based but she also travels through South Australia and the Northern Territory.
The story tells of life for many different families living on rural stations and outside of town. It explores the isolation, the sense of community, School of the Air, the challenges and the great social life that is still possible living in such a remote area.
An Outback Life isn’t just about the words on the page though, what really makes this book special is the amazing photography throughout, with all of the images shot by Paula Heelan. Originally focused on writing Heelan’s work in freelance journalism saw her realise the need for quality images to submit with the stories, and develop her photography skills through years of practice and following other photographers.
This book earns its place in libraries across the country with the beautiful images captured in its pages. There are fantastic candid shots of people in all aspects of rural life from the students of School of the Air, the jockeys and the community at race meets, the drovers and stockmen on station and lots of fantastic images of outback kids.
I think some of my favourite shots in the book are of the wildlife and the stock. The birds, the horses, the cattle and one very early shot of two kangaroos playing outside Heelan’s kitchen window. There are also stunning photos of the landscape, both in the dry season and the wet.
An Outback Life makes a great gift for those living a rural life who can understand the stories contained in the book as well as for those town and city dwellers with a love for the great Australian outdoors.
An Outback Life is available now. Published through Harlequin and available from Angus & Robertson Bookworld, Booktopia, Dymocks and where all good books are sold.
RRP: $39.99
I devour books, vampires and supernatural creatures are my genre of choice but over the past couple of years, I have broadened my horizons considerably. In a nutshell – I love to write! I love interacting with a diverse range of artists to bring you interviews. Perhaps we were perfect before – I LOVE WORDS!